Roundup: The 7 Signs of Addiction -- and More

News from the Juvenile Justice System

• What does it take to implement juvenile justice reform? Research on what works is not enough, as we've seen in the battle over D.A.R.E. (follow the link and scroll down to the first bullet under "Research"), because people disregard research they disagree with. Here's the testimony of a corrections officer who learned to trust the research over the course of working in an adult jail for 22 years. (Hat tip to the Vera Institute of Justice.)
• The judge looking into the kids-for-cash scandal in the Luzerne County, PA juvenile justice system issued his recommendations, and the Juvenile Law Center commented with a passionate editorial on the work ahead. (The Juvenile Law Center uncovered the scandal.)
• Young Latinos continue to be over-represented in the juvenile justice system and in adult prisons, according to a new fact sheet from the National Council of La Raza.
• Youth Today has an interesting post on the rise of daytime curfew laws across the country to address truancy and juvenile crime. Results, such as they are, appear mixed.

 
News Related to Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

• For years, possession of powder cocaine has not been dealt with nearly as harshly as possession of crack cocaine. As I understand it, possession of specific amounts of both powder and crack cocaine can earn you a mandatory five- or 10-year prison sentence -- but you need to be in possession of 100 times as much powder cocaine to do so. Now, this much-criticized disparity may be coming to an end, as the U.S. Senate recently moved to dramatically reduce (though not eliminate) the disparity. (Hat tip to Emmitt Hayes.)
• According to ABC News, heroin use is rising dramatically among suburban teens. (Unfortunately, I couldn't access page two of the story - if anyone out there can get the whole story, please email me a link and I'll add it here.)
• For parents of teens with drug and alcohol problems: a great post via @Preferred Family about the seven signs of addiction; and "When Parents Blame Themselves," from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's blog for and by parents.
• The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) issued highlights from the 2008 national youth gang survey; and the Department of Justice is soliciting grant proposals to "raise the awareness within traditionally underserved populations about the needs of children exposed to violence" and improve their access to services. Application deadline is May 11, 2010.
• Know any behavioral health care organizations that deserve recognition?  The Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce and the Hitachi Foundation want to  "identify emerging best workforce practices occurring in community-based mental health and substance use treatment and prevention centers." Nomination deadline for the Behavioral Health Pacesetter Award is May 14, 2010. (You might also be interested in the Coalition's Action Plan for Behavioral Health Workforce Development, which it developed in 2007 with the support of SAMHSA.)

 
Resources for the Justice System

• Grantmakers in Health just released "Health & Justice: Healthcare for People Involved in the Justice System." The document has very useful guidelines for supporting and sustaining change initiatives in the justice system. (While ostensibly aimed at grantmakers, they'd be useful for other policy makers as well.) The document also has an inspiring quote from our national director, Dr. Laura Nissen:

Programs don’t reclaim kids. Family and community do... Programs don’t change people. Relationships do.